Torivor
Torivors, also referred to as lurkers or darklings, are mysterious creatures summoned from the Beyond and impressed into the services of first Zokar, then Maldor. The Myrkstone holds power over them. History The torivors are Maldor's most powerful servants. They were summoned by Zokar from another Beyond to Lyrian as his minions. Two torivors are encountered in Brandon Mull's Five Kingdoms series, and one explains that the world they come from was perfect and had no sense of time. It is presumed that several torivors left their realm to travel to Lyrian before being employed by Zokar. Torivors are bound to Lyrian because of a covenant with Zokar, and as they are incapable of lying, they cannot betray the oath. The Myrkstone, which Maldor obtained after the death of Zokar, was used by Maldor to control the torivors. Maldor seldom summons them, but whenever he does, they almost never fail him. Most times, they are used as scouts. The truth is that the torivors only want to return to their world and bear no actual ill will towards their victims; by following Maldor's commands, the torivors will eventually be able to return to their world. In the third book, Rachel destroyed the Myrkstone, thereby setting the torivors free from their oath and allowing most of them to go back to their world. A few, however, she told to stay in service to Galloran, Jason, and Farfalee. It was said that if death took a form, it would look like a torivor. They have a mostly humanoid shape, but their whole form is pitch black, even in the sunlight. Their eyes are completely black, with no whites or irises. They move quickly and silently, making them great spies. It is unknown whether the black shadow is their true form, for they bleed light when stabbed, which hints at a less evil body. Torivors are usually sent to find and stalk a person, and once they have his or her scent, it is nearly impossible to shake them off. At night, they disturb their victim's dreams, giving vivid nightmares that are meant to bring ruin upon them. They may not communicate with speech, but they can communicate, using thoughts, to those who are capable of hearing them. Usually, when they find their victim, they will leave to alert Maldor's soldiers. They seldom harm anyone when they are sent on a scouting mission, unless provoked. If they are attacked, they will reciprocate, and possibly cause death. Torivors, however, are very secretive, and will almost never follow their victim into a large town. Maldor also sends torivors to kill. This is rarely the case, because if the torivor wins the fight, he is free from Maldor's service, but when it is their goal to eliminate the victim, they will carry two magnificent swords. Not even the best swordsman could expect victory. The only weapons that may successfully finish off a torivor are the swords that they carry. The only known conquerors are Galloran, who vanquished three torivors in his lifetime, Jasher and Drake, who worked together to slay it, and Corinne, who slew an unarmed torivor. Galloran only succeeded through his ability to read the lurkers' minds and determine their next move. Instead of using physical senses, they reach out with their mind. That is how Elaine used a doll laced with Edomic commands to trick a torivor into assuming it was an injured Rachel and following the decoy. Because of how powerful the torivors are in physical worlds, it can be assumed that they come from a mental plane of existence. This would allow the torivor to have abilities close to perfection. While not blatantly told throughout the books, having traits of an mental creature in an physical world helps back up this theory. Torivorian swords Although torivors do not bear any tools or weapons whilst on a scouting mission, a torivor that has been instructed to duel a foe will bear two swords of immaculate craftsmanship, more perfect than any other blades in Lyrian. These swords are, ironically, the only weapons that can cause significant damage to the lurker itself. When dueling, the torivor will hand one of the swords to its marked foe. If, however unlikely it may be, the lurker's victim succeeds in slaying it instead, the winner keeps the swords. Several sets of torivorian dueling blades are known to exist. Because of their incredible rarity and the circumstances which must take place for them to be acquired, the swords are very scarce throughout Lyrian. Galloran was known to own three sets, as he had defeated three lurkers, and the lurker which killed Drake also bore swords, which were likely claimed by Drake's allies after they destroyed the creature. Another set was seen when a lurker attempted to duel Maldor. All swords wielded by torivors are made up of a metal called torivorian steel. This metal has specific properties, which make it an extremely effective weapon-building material. Torivorian steel has more mass than it looks and feels like, so, to the wielder, a sword such as this will feel very light and be normal sized but will have a very effective strike. Torivorian steel blades also do not dull. They constantly retain their shape and sharpness, as well as cleanliness, no matter how much they are used. Powers and Abilities As a wholly psychic race, Torivors have several unique and noteworthy abilities, most of which involve fear. Dream Invasion Lurkers can use their psychic powers to invade an individual's mind while they sleep and create nightmares in their victims, typically of a near-death experience. While the afflicted being remains physically unharmed, such an effect is extremely traumatizing and should never be underestimated. Torivors can also use this invasive ability to communicate with the unconscious individual, and is usually done so by looking like one of the friends of the victim. Telepathy As mentioned before, they use their minds instead of normal senses. So it is only natural that they communicate via telepathy. This is regarded as a natural talent and not use of Edomic (Edomic is the use of special words of power which change things in the world) . Swordplay Torivors are, as a species, some of the most deadly swordfighters alive. They are inhumanly strong and fast, seemingly have perfect balance, and do not ever seem to tire. In addition, all Torivors have displayed extreme skill to complement these natural advantages. The only being known to have defeated a lurker in single combat is Galloran, and even he was pushed to the limit of his skills. It is not said how torivors got their skills, yet they are very competent. Dread Lurkers can inflict a debilitating fear in animals of lower intelligence, causing them to run wildly in a desperate attempt to escape the lurker's presence. This power is extremely potent, and can cause even normally loyal animals to flee. Water walking The torivor that attacks Drake, Jasher, and Jason aboard the Valiant shows the ability to walk on the surface of the water. The lurker that stalks Jason also appeared to walk on water. Other appearances Torivors also appear in one of Brandon Mull's other book series, Five Kingdoms, in the books Rogue Knight, Death Weavers, and Time Jumpers. Category:Beyonders Category:Characters